G. 0. SMITH.

19

I.—6a.

capable officers in the service. Taking grades 1 to 6, it will be seen that in 1908 to 1910 there were in those combined grades 90 members, except 92 in 1909, 8 less in grade 8, 3 less in grade 7, 31 more in grade 9, and 102 more in grade 10. There have been practically no promotions to the higher grades during those years. As to the cases of reduction in positions, there is the case of Locomotive Foreman, Auckland. He is in charge of the whole of the Auckland District from the northern extremity to Frankton Junction, including all branch lines in the district. He draws a salary of £225, and has been in charge of the district for about three years. His clerk receives the same salary as himself. The position was formerly officered by it foreman at £300, who, if there now, would no doubt have been in the £315-to-£355 grade. With the opening of the North Island Main Trunk lint the traffic has long ago reached such dimensions as to entitle this officer to a higher salary than that of his clerk — in fact, it is a position equal to the other large centres such as Christchurch, Dunedin, and Invercargill, two of the officers in charge of which are in the £315-to- £355 grade, and one in the £ lofi grade. In regard to the Locomotive Foreman at Palmerston North, although this officer has had his district reduced, he has now about the same number of engines to supervise and the same staff as formerly, and the disparity now made in the status of the lire-sent foreman compared with the two who were formerly there--viz., a reduction of two grades, of £80 per annum—is unreasonable. Then we come to the Inspector of Permanent-way at Hawera, which appears to be a very unsatisfactory case. This officer has been in grade 9 for a number of years, and should have graduated into the £255 grade. Cases can be given where Permanent-way Inspectors have been promoted from £210 per annum to the £255 grade and not reaching the top of £220 grade. In referring to the Locomotive Foreman in grade 9 they have averaged thirty-one years service, and I suppose their average ages are between fifty and fifty-seven years. By those men being kept so long in that grade it has two or three effects, one effect being to keep those below them down, and the other is that it affects their superannuation. It was said the other day that in the case of a young man in a lower grade it would not affect him so much, but if a man comes to be fifty-five or fifty-seven years of age before he gets out of the ninth grade it is hopeless to expect to get up to anything like £300. Apparently the Workshops Foremen in grade 9 have similar complaints. A large number of them have been in grade 9 from five to eight years, and the average proportion seems to have been gradually closing in. Then, again, there is the position of the clerk to the Locomotive Foreman in Christchurch : that position hits been reduced two grades during the last five years, and that of Locomotive Foreman clerk, Dunedin, one grade during the same period. The Dunedin position was filled in 1905 by a clerk at £210, and on his decease was replaced by one at £150. If the first-named officer had not died he would have attained to tiftz £255 grade with the clerk tit Christchurch, to whom he was senior. It seems very strange that positions like Hawera and Auckland, particularly Auckland, where the position has been filled by an officer in the £300 grade for a number of years, and where the traffic is gradually increasing all the time, that it should be held so long by a foreman in the lower grade. The same may be said of Hawera. There is no doubt that the Inspector there was an old officer and had been in that grade for some time; and there seems to be no reasonable excuse why another officer who has been several years in grade 9 should not be promoted to the £255 grade. There is one other point 1 should like to mention, which will complete my evidence—namely, that in the large centres the Assistant 'Locomotive Foreman has to be specially trained to carry out the duties in regard to manipulating the staff in train-running. He has to consult the Traffic Manager and the Traffic Clerk, the Goods Agent and the Traffic Inspector in connection with trains and traffic work generally. 3. Mr Ramsay.] In your opinion, then, the Locomotive Foremen are not properly remunerated?— Yes, that is my opinion. 4. Hon. Mr. Millar.] Is not the Assistant Locomotive Foreman directly under the instructions of the Foreman? —Yes, sir. 5. You said that to fill the positions required a special training?— Yes, in the large centres. 6. Who did the work before the Assistant Locomotive Foremen were appointed?— The Senior Enginemen. 7. Even though they bad not done it before?— They assisted. 8. Have not positions been created by appointing Assistant Locomotive Foremen? —Only in Christchurch and Dunedin, I think. 9. What is the grade?— Grade 9. 10. How long have you been in the First Division? —Since August, 1905. I was acting for three years as Senior Engineman doing similar work. 11. How long was Mr. McKenzie in the First Division before he got £290?—1 could not tell you that. 12. You have been six years in the First Division? —Yes, and twenty-seven years in the Second Division. 13. And you are getting £220?— Yes. 14. Are you aware that the Locomotive Foreman in Christchurch started at £4 a week? —I could not say. That must be many years ago. The first I can recollect is back in 1877. It was then recognized to be about £5 or £5 10s. per week. 15. Can you tell the Committee what the Assistant Locomotive Foreman is paid in the Australian States? —Of course, the designations are different in New South Wales to what they are here. The Travelling Inspector receives £375, Outdoor Locomotive Superintendent £550, Steam Shed Inspector £400, Assistant Steam Shed Inspectors £330, Shed Chargeman £275. That is the man in charge of the shed, and he has nothing to do with the train-running. I might say fliat this was gazetted by the New South Wales Government in 1909. Then, again, in another section the Steam Shed Inspector receives £345, Shed Foreman £265, Steam Shed Inspector £275, two Locomotive Outdoor Superintendents £650, and one £500, the Chief Mechanical Engineer £1,200, and the Assistant to Chief Mechanical Engineer £1,000. The Steam Shed Inspectors